The Car of Destiny | Page 6

he's
bound to become a persona grata at Court if he marries a friend of the
young Queen; and, no doubt, that influences his choice."
"Thank Heaven, Lady Monica isn't Spanish."
"Ah, but Spain's the fashion now. And you haven't heard all my news.
Henri de la Mole says Lady Monica is asked to be a maid of honour for
the young Queen of Spain, the one Englishwoman she's to have in
attendance."
"At least the wedding won't be till June. It's only the end of February
now. I've got more than three months."
"You haven't got one. Soon after the Princesses leave Biarritz, Lady
Vale-Avon and Lady Monica are going to visit the old Duchess of
Carmona in Spain."
"What, they're going to Seville?"
"If her house is there. I'm telling you what I've been told."
"The principal house of the Duke is in Seville, though he has a place
near Granada, and a flat in Madrid as a substitute for a fine house that
was burned down."

"Then Seville's where they'll be. Anyhow, they're to see the great show
in Holy Week there."
It was as if Dick had suddenly drenched me with iced water.
For a few seconds I did not speak. Then I said, "Are you trying to break
it to me that the match is arranged?"
"I told you Lady Monica wasn't engaged."
"And I told you I knew she wasn't. But that isn't to say the mother, the
woman 'as hard as iron and cold as steel,' hasn't planned her daughter's
future, a girl so young, and always kept under control."
"It looks as if the wind was setting in that quarter. A person of Lady
Vale-Avon's type would hardly accept such an invitation if she didn't
intend something to come of it."
"You're certain the invitation's been accepted?"
"Certain. Angèle de la Mole has been with her brother in Spain, and
Lady Monica's been asking her advice about what to take and what to
wear. The Duke himself is in Paris, buying a new automobile; at least,
so his mother says; but other people say he's at Monte Carlo. Anyhow,
he's expected here in time for the ball."
"What ball?"
"Didn't I tell you? A masked ball the old Duchess is giving in honour of
Princess Ena. A grand affair it will be, says de la Mole. There's been
jealousy about the invitations, which have been carefully weeded."
"You and I'll accept," said I.
"We're not likely to have the chance."
"Sometimes a man must make a chance. I shall meet Lady Monica at
the Duchess's ball."

"All right. Suppose you go in the garb of a palmer?"
"Eh?"
"I was thinking of another first meeting, case not dissimilar, you know,
Romeo and Juliet. My poor, mad friend, there's more hope for a
Montague with a Capulet than for a Casa Triana with a friend of the
future Queen of Spain, and the daughter of a Lady Vale-Avon."
"Romeo won Juliet."
"It wasn't exactly a fortunate marriage. See here, if you're going in for
the part of Romeo, it's no good asking me to play Mercutio."
I looked at Dick and smiled. "I shall ask nothing," I said. "Yet--"
"Yet, you know mighty well, if you want a Mercutio, I'll be ready to
take up the rôle at a moment's notice all for the sake of your beaux yeux.
Well, you're right. There's something queer about you, Ramón, which
makes us others glad to do what we can, even if it were to cost our lives.
If you'd been a king in exile, you'd have had no trouble in finding
followers. From your French valet to your Russian soldiers; from your
English chauffeur to your American friend, it's pretty well the same. I
expect you'll get to that masked ball."
"If I don't, it won't be for lack of trying," said I.
"But--"
"But what--"
"This affair of yours is going to end in tragedy--for someone," said
Dick.

III
THE GUEST WHO WAS NOT ASKED

During the next two or three days I found more to do. I got Dick to
introduce me to his friend Henri de la Mole, not as Christopher
Trevenna, but under my own name, and when he and his sister had
been interested in what they chose to think a romance, I was able to
learn through them that, curiously enough, Lady Vale-Avon had
arranged for her daughter to appear at the ball as Juliet.
The costume, it seemed, decided itself, because there happened to be
among Lady Vale-Avon's inherited and most treasured possessions, an
interesting pearl head-dress of the conventional Juliet fashion. This had
been sent for from England; and if I could succeed in getting to the ball,
as I fully intended to do, I should have little